Hamas continues to strike out at southern Israel firing 6 Kassam rockets and 1 Katyusha rocket into the western Negev. One exploded south of Ashkelon and others in the Eshkol region and south of Ofakim. Baruch Hashem, there are no injuries or reports of damage.
The el-Arabia news network reports heavy fighting between IDF soldiers and Hamas terrorists in the Zeitoun area of Gaza. El-Jazeera English news reports IDF tanks heading towards the former community of Netzarim where the force is dividing Gaza from Gaza City, the center from the southern areas.
IDF artillery is also hitting the Beit Hanoun area. El-Jazeera also reports IDF soldiers are operating in urban areas, conducting house-to-house searchers, arresting suspects. The report adds soldiers have taken up position in the south, in the Rafiach area between Gaza and Egypt.
30 soldiers have been wounded to date, including an officer and a soldier who were listed in serious condition but Soroka Hospital officials earlier on Sunday reported that following emergency surgery, they are now improving; the remainder of the wounded are in moderate and light condition.
Hamas TV reports the air force hit a Rafiach building and there are fatalities. Hamas reports directing anti-aircraft fire at the IDF over the el-Bureij Refugee Camp. It is not the first time that Hamas reports they are firing anti-aircraft fire but Israeli sources believe they are actually firing heavy machineguns since the terrorists do not have anti-aircraft weaponry.
At the opening of the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday morning, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert explained the decision to send the infantry forces into Gaza was made on Friday with Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, acting upon the recommendation of IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi. He explained that we decided to send in the sons to protect the parents, brothers and sisters who remain at home. The decision was not a lighthearted one, but one that followed months of seeking an alternate solution, giving terrorists ample time to comply with a ceasefire… I can look at every parent and say we did everything to avoid sending our boys into Gaza.
The cabinet is hearing briefings from the defense minister along with the heads of various defense, security and intelligence agencies.
IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Avi Benayahu explains the operation in Gaza is not intended to eliminate Hamas’ ability to shoot, but rather to deliver a hard blow to deter Hamas from doing so in the future. Speaking to Galei Tzahal (Army Radio), the spokesman stated that the program is moving ahead as planned.
Saudi Arabia is pledging $30 million in aid for Gaza residents.
Over 3,000 people in Melbourne Australia protested Israel’s military operation, calling on their government to decry the Israeli action. In Sydney, some 2,000 people took part in an anti-Israel rally. Australia’s acting prime minister has condemned the Hamas shelling into Israel.
Hundreds protested outside the Israeli Embassy in Istanbul, throwing rocks at the diplomatic compound. A similar protest was held near Israel’s diplomatic facilities in Ankara.
AS WE GO TO PRINT: Two soldiers were lightly injured by mortar fire in the Nachal Oz area.
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(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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3 Responses
Reuters wrote 10 minutes ago that Hamas claims that they kidnapped 2 Israeli soldiers. However, the IDF didn’t confirm it.
May Hashem bless our soldiers and all the residents of the South.
Take a look a Perek 140 of Tehillim it is so shiach to the present situation. The last pasuk tells us how we should be responding.
Definately worth saying !
Jews, Lets have the courage to face the truth, and and not be bamboozled by liberal canards. We must know who and what we our fighting. Our PC leaders and media will not publicly recognize the enemy Islam for fear of the “racism” charge.
This war is not about “terrorism”, nor is it a war about Zionism or territory. As the Moslem “theologian” Said Katab has said, “This conflict is about truth, and which truth will prevail in the world.” Fourteen hundred years ago the psychopathic murderer and false prophet Mohammed declared war on all other religions, and especially against Judaism. Long before any “occupied territories” or “Zionist aggression” the false prophet of Islam systemically exterminated the Jewish tribes in Arabia when they refused to convert to Islam.
Islam is waging perpetual war against the Jewish people and Judaism. Islam denies any validity to our Torah, denies any Jewish right or connection to Eretz Yisrael, Islam falsely claims that Avraham Aveinu was a Moslem, Islam falsely claims that Hashem choose Yishmael, not Yitzchak, and Islam falsely claims that the Bais HaMikdash was a mosque.
As the Rambam wrote 800 years ago in his Igeret Teman in regards to the Yishmaelim: “No greater enemy has threatened us, and no nation has done more to subjugate and humiliate us … King David saw through ruach hakodesh all the troubles slated for Israel, began to wail and lament the wicked Ishmaelite nation … (Tehillim 120:5) …The psychopath Mohammed was descended from Kedar … We are still suffering their enslavement, perfidy, and lies, which surpass the bounds of human endurance.”
Wicked Muslims are waging jihad against us to force us, R”L, to bow down to their false moon g-d allah.
Does not halacha require us to fight to the death under these circumstances?